Social Indicators Social Indicators OverviewOverview

Making a difference ...and knowing it

Outline of conversation:

• What are indicators?

• Why should we care?

• What can they tell us?

• Who's part of the global movement?

• How can we make data more exciting?

• Where can we find out more?

• When will this guy stop talking?

“If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do,

and how to do it …”

– Abraham Lincoln

“In some ways, the best news for Jacksonville is the [Quality of Life Progress] Report itself.

The very premise of the report, and of JCCI, is the belief in Jacksonville as a community where the problems of some are the responsibility of everyone.”

–The Florida Times-Union

“What gets measured, gets done.”

– Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton

What is an Indicator?

A number which describesdescribes a condition

A measurement that tells a tells a storystory

Data that inspire action

Understanding numbers• Bit = basic unit of measurement of information• Byte = Sequence of 8 bits• Kilobyte = 1,024 bytes• Megabyte = 1,024 kilobytes• Gigabyte = 1,024 megabytes• Terabyte = 1,024 gigabytes• Petabyte = 1,024 terabytes • Exabyte = 1,024 petabytes, or 185,620,362,241,702,000,000

bytes

We created 161 exabytes of data last year.

That’s more than the number of stars in 2 BILLION galaxies.

Planning councils Planning councils use indicators to:use indicators to:

• address community issues• assess community initiatives• shape policy and resource decisions• raise community awareness

The Social The Social Indicators Initiative Indicators Initiative

is designed to:is designed to:• provide tools to address issues• share impacts of initiatives• shape policy and resource decisions• raise national awareness

Social Indicators Social Indicators Initiative outcomes:Initiative outcomes:

• Forums and Conferences• 2002 “From the Bottom Up” report• www.socialindicators.com• 2005 Leading Social Indicators report• 2006 Social Indicators report update

•

FormatFormatNational trendline

State variancesLocal trend-bending initiatives

Data, links, and additional information

Example: Juvenile Example: Juvenile ArrestsArrests

National trend: downward

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U.S .

Story: Northern Story: Northern California Council for California Council for

the Communitythe CommunityKeeping Youth Safe: A Report on

Violence PreventionCommunity collaboration

Increased after-school programmingJob training

Community involvement

Story: Northern Story: Northern California Council for California Council for

the Communitythe Community

Local trend: downward, faster

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U.S .

Bay A re a

Story: Community Story: Community Council of Greater Council of Greater

DallasDallasDallas County Youth Development

ProgramCommunity Vision

85,000 hours after-school prevention services

Community involvement

Story: Community Story: Community Council of Greater Council of Greater

DallasDallasLocal trend: now below U.S. average

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U.S .

Bay A re a

DallasC o u n ty

Example: Mother Example: Mother EducationEducation

National trend: slightly downward

0%

10%

20%

30%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U .S .

Story: Community Story: Community Services Planning Services Planning

Council, Sacramento Council, Sacramento CaliforniaCalifornia

Teenage Pregnancy Community Health Plan

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Committee

Collaboration among high schools, teen parent programs, after school

program providers, hospitals, educators

Story: Community Story: Community Services Planning Services Planning

Council, Sacramento Council, Sacramento CaliforniaCalifornia

Local trend: downward, faster

0%

10%

20%

30%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U .S .

S a c ra m e nto

Story: Center for Story: Center for Community Solutions, Community Solutions,

Cleveland OhioCleveland Ohio

LEAP (Learning, Earning, and Parenting program)

DePaul Young Parent ProgramGRADS (Graduation, reality, and Dual-

Skills program)

Story: Center for Story: Center for Community Solutions, Community Solutions,

Cleveland OhioCleveland Ohio

Cleveland trend: Reverse trendline

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U .S .S a c ra m e nto

C le ve la nd

Story: Center for Story: Center for Community Solutions, Community Solutions,

Cleveland OhioCleveland Ohio

County trend: Below national average

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

U.S.SacramentoCuyahoga CountyCleveland

ImplicationsImplicationsMove conversation beyond outcome

measures to effectiveness and efficiency

Making data more exciting:

Housing prices

Making data more exciting:

Housing prices

Data Display Tools:

Gapminder

Many Eyes

Swivel

Data Display Tools:

Gapminder

Many Eyes

Swivel

Data Display Tools:

Gapminder

Many Eyes

Swivel

Data Display Tools:

Gapminder

Many Eyes

Swivel

“Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. In one in

which the measures of government receive their

impressions so immediately from the sense of the

community as in ours it is proportionably essential.”

-- George Washington

For the latest in indicators news, check

communityindicators.blogspot.com

Leading Social Leading Social IndicatorsIndicators

Measuring what’s importantMaking a difference

and knowing it

Thank you.www.socialindicators.com